Armonii Burden would love to be known as the second-best defensive player to ever come out of Williamsburg’s Lafayette High School.

The incomparable Lawrence Taylor, of course, is No. 1 on that list.

Taylor (Lafayette Class of 1977) is perhaps the most dominant linebacker in NFL history with the New York Giants.

Burden (Lafayette Class of 2018), an attacking defensive end for Virginia Union University, will start his junior season as a preseason All-CIAA selection.

Wearing jersey No. 5 (unusual digit for a lineman), Burden had six sacks among his 30 tackles in 2021 in his first season as a Panther after transferring from Hampton University.

When Burden wasn’t sacking the QB, he was applying relentless pressure. Rival signal callers got to know No. 5 usually under unpleasant circumstances.

“Armonii plays with a lot of tenacity, and he knows how to get to the quarterback,” said Coach Alvin Parker. “He’s also very good against the run.”

Under defensive coordinator Ed Pointer (Parker’s former VUU teammate), the Panthers hope to repair an inconsistent defense from a season ago.

VUU gave up 42 points to Hampton, 51 to Valdosta and 31 in a win over Chowan. Overall, the Panthers allowed 22 points and 360 yards per game.

The team was 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the CIAA North, second to Bowie State.

“We need to focus on stopping the run,” Burden said. “We need to gang tackle more and be disciplined.”

VUU opens Thursday, Sept. 1, against invading Virginia University of Lynchburg in the annual Willard Bailey Classic. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. at Hovey Stadium/Lanier Field.

Even the iconic Taylor, who helped the Giants to two Super Bowl titles, would be impressed by his alma mater’s play in recent autumns.

In Burden’s sophomore, junior and senior years combined, the Rams were 37-4, twice reaching the State semifinals. Taylor did what he could to help.

“Mr. Taylor came to school to give us motivational speeches once we got to states,” Burden said.

“He took me aside and told me to be the ‘tough guy,’ to go out there with a ‘high motor.’”

Football talent is a family trait.

Burden’s brother, Kapri Doucet, played at Bruton High in Williams- burg, and later at the University of Oklahoma and Hampton.

Burden is sometimes asked about the “double i’s to end his first name.

“My mother is very creative, artsy,” he explained. “She wanted something different.”

At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Burden isn’t always the largest of defensive lineman. But he may be the strongest.

He has full squatted a spine-testing, bar-bending 635 pounds, tops among all Panthers of all weight classes.

“I’m very active in the weight room,” he said.

To put a 635-pound squat into perspective, that’s about 14, 45-pound plates in all, or seven on each side of the bar.

Even Lawrence Taylor, in his prime, might have passed on that.